Middle States Accreditation Process

Swarthmore is currently completing its 2014 Middle States Periodic Review Report [pdf] (PRR), an important accreditation document. Due in June 2014, the PRR is an update to our 2009 (decennial) self-study [pdf], as well as a prospective analysis of the institution that demonstrates that the College will continue to meet all of the Middle States standards of excellence. A steering committee of faculty, staff, and students worked through 2012-13 to identify the contents of the report, which was drafted in the summer and fall of 2013. It is important that we have the input of the community on this critical self-analysis.

Accreditation is a process by which U.S. institutions of higher education undergo peer review to assess and certify that the institution meets a threshold of quality, and is eligible to receive federal funds (e.g. through student aid or grants). Swarthmore College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. In order to maintain accreditation, institutions provide routine evaluations in the forms of annual reports, decennial self-studies, and interim (between self-studies) periodic review reports. The latter two involve evaluation by external reviewers.

May 2014 Update:

The College community was invited to share their feedback and suggestions on a draft of the PRR in March and April. The comment period is now closed. Many thanks to all those who provided input. The report has been revised, and the final version is available through the links on this site.